Tabulator mechanism for typewriters



Nov. 17, 1925- o. HOKANSON TABULATOR MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRI'I'ERS 3Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13, 1920 Nov. 17, 2 1,561,539

0. A. HOKANSON TABULATOR MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Sept. 13, 1920s Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 'ZQZZ7?: 255 W Nov. 17, 1925- O. A. HOKANSON summonMECHANISM FOR 'ryrzwnnzxs Filed Sept. 13, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mum 'QMW Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO A. I-IOKANSON, OF WOOD STOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T WOOIJSTOCK TYPE-TIVRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TABULATOR MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS.

App1ieation fi1ed September 13, 1920. Serial No. 410,043.

To aZZ 2072/0771 it'm'ay concern:

Be it known that I. O'l'lO A. HoKANsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at W'oodstock, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tabulator Mechanismfor Typewriters, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention relates to typewriters generally and more specifically tomechanism for controlling the movement of the platen carriage forperforming tabulating operations and has for its object the provision ofmechanism of the class named which shall be of improved construction andoperation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawings and described in the followingspecification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

1 In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through aportion of the platen carriage frame having one form of the presentinvention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the tabulator stop mechanism inelevation;

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View with parts omitted showing one end of atypewriter carriage having the invention applied thereto; and

right in Fig. 1.

Although the invention is applicable to various forms of typewriters, inthe embodiment shown in the drawings it is illustrated as being appliedto a typewriter having a foldable platen carriage frame. The platencarriage frame is supported by a pair of arms 11 pivotally mounted at 12on the base frame 13. The platen carriage 14 is supported by ways 15 forlongitudinal movement along the frame 10 and is provided at each endwith upright plates 16 in which the platen 17 is journaled for rotation.The platen is provided with paper feed rollers 18 and operatingmechanism therefor, described in my application, Serial No.396,888,filed July 17, 1920, and also with line lock mechanismcomprising a margin stop member 19 and associated parts, described in myapplication, Serial No. 386,887, filed June 5, 1920.

Fig. 5 is an elevation looking from the A margin and tabulator stop bar20 is supported by a pair of arms 21 pivotally mounted at 22 on the endplates 16 of the platen carriage. The arms are shown as located adjacentthe inner face of the end plates 16 and a yoke23 is bent around the edgeof the plates 16 and connected to a lever 24 carried by the pivot 22 sothat movement of the lever will raise and lower the arms 21 and the bar20. It will be apparent that the lever 24 could be connected directly tothe arm 21 so that the lever would lie in the plane of the arm 21, butthe arrangement shown in the drawings is merely for the purpose ofconvenience in the location of the operating lever and the support ofthe various parts carried by the plates 16. The bar 20 is provided witha series of notches 25 by which tabulator stops 26 are held in variouspositions of adjustment along the bar.

The platen carriage is controlled in its movement along the platen frameby a pinion 27 provided with an escapement wheel 28 which cooperateswith amovable dog 29 and a fixed dog 30 supported by a rocker plate 31in a manner more fully described in my application, Serial No. 381,250,filed May 14, 1920. The pinion 27 meshes with a rack 32 supported by apair of lever arms 33 pivoted at 22 on the end plates 16. A spring 34normally draws the rack 32 into engagement with the pinion 27 and therack may be moved out ofengagement with the pinion by an extension 35 onone of the arms which formsa finger piece for releasing the rack. Theplaten carriage is provided with the usual spring drum and is normallyheld against movement by the dog 29 which engages the escapement wheel28.

In performing tabulating operations it is desirable that the platencarriage may be released from the escapement mechanism to move along theframe 10 a predetermined dis. tance independent of the escapementmechanism. The release of the carriage is effected by means of atabulator key lever 36 having an upwardly projecting arm 37 arranged inposition to engage an arm 38 of a bellcrank lever 39 and move the arm 38rearwardly when the tabulator key is depressed. The bell crank lever 39is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 40 pivotally connected at 41to a bar 42 having a longitudinal sliding movement along the platencarriage fram At the end opposite the bell crank lever 39 the bar 42 issupported by a stud bolt 43 which extends downwardly from the platencarriage frame. The lever 39 1S plvotally supported by a screw 44'secured to the platen carriage frame and a coil spring 45 normally holdsthe lever 39 in position to retain the bar 42 at the right extreme ofits sliding movement, as viewed in Fig. 1. The movement of the bar 42 islimited by a slot 46 which engages the supporting bolt 43. The bar 42 isprovided with a lug 47 in position to engage a finger 48 on the pawl 29when the tabulator key is depressed and shift the dog '29 to the left,as viewed in Fig. 1, a suflicientamount to release the escapem'ent.wheel 28 and permit the platen carriage to move along its ways under theinfluence of its spring drum. The amount of movement of the platencarriage is determined by the position of the tabulator stops 26 on thebar- 20. The stops 26 engage an abutment arm 49 which is swung into thepath of the stops by the movement of the bar 42 prior to the release ofthe escapement mechanism. The abutment arm 49 is provided with ears 50and. 51 which are pivotally mounted on a bolt 52 carried by downwardlyextending lugs 53 on a bracket plate 55 secured to the lower face of theplaten carriage frame 10 by screws 56. As shown bestin Figs. 3 and 5,the ear 51 of the abutment arm 49 is provided with a. forwardlyextending finger 57 which normally rests upon the upper face ofthebar'42. A spring 58 surrounds the bolt 52 and normally presses thefinger 57 downwardly against the bar 42 and holds the abutment arm 49out of the path of the tabulator stop 26 in the position shown in Fig..5. The bar 42 is provided with an upwardly struck=up cam lug. 59which'is located adjacent the finger 57 in position to slide beneath thefinger when the bar 42 is moved by the tabulator key. This cam lugraises the finger 57 into the position shown in Fig. 3 and moves theabutment arm intothe path of the tabulator. stops on the bar 20. Themovement of the finger 57 andarm 49 occurs prior. to the. re: lease ofthe escapement mechanism by thelug 47 and finger 48 so that when theplaten carriage'is free tomove under the influence of the spring drumthe abutment member 49, will be in positionto check the movement of thecarriage in any position predetermined byv the location of the stops 26on the bar 2).

Abuffer spring 60 is interposed between the car 50 andithelug 53 to forma cushion for absorbing the force of the contact between the tabulatorstop 26 and the abutment member 49. The spring 60 will be momentarilycompressed whenthe carriage is brought to rest by the abutment member49, but. will subsequently expand and return the. carriage to its properposition against the tension ofthe spring drum. When the tabulator keyis released the bar 42 will be returned to normal position by the spring45 which movement will permit the escapement dog 29 to return toposition for engaging the escapement wheel 28 and thus resume control ofthe platen carriage. Subsequent to the return of the escapement dog thefinger 57 will be released from the cam lug 59 and the abutment arm 49will be moved out of the path of the tabulator stop so that the machinewill operate in the regular manner to enter whatever items are to bewritten. A second operation of the tabulator key will again release thecarriage and bring it to rest at any point desired, depending upon theposition of the next tabulator stop 26 on the bar 20. If at any time itshould happen that a t-abulator stop is in position on the bar 20opposite the end of the cont-act arm 49 at the time that the tabulatorkey is depressed, the arm 49 will engage the front edge of the tabulatorstop, but this will not interfere with the proper operation of themechanism, for the reason that the bar 20 is pivotally mounted at 2-2and will merely swing rearwardly and upwardly when this occurs so thatthe bar 42 will be free to complete its longitudinal movement andrelease the escapement mechanism. As soon as the carriage begins to movethe bar 20 will drop into its normal position so that the nexttab-ulator stop will engage the abutment member 49.

A single bar 20 is used for supporting the tabulator stops 26 and marginstops 61, descrlbeol in my prior application, Serial No. 386,887,referredto above. As will be seen from F ig. 5, the margin stop 61 is soshaped that it will not engage the tabulator abutment member 49, and thetabulator stops 26 do notcontact with the end ofthe. line lock lever 19,so that although the two sets of stops are carried on the same bar,neither interferes with the functions of the other.

The entire tabulator mechanism is carried by the platen carriage frameand moves with the frame into and out of operative position so that thefolding of the typewriter does not. affect the operative relation of.the. various elements of. the tabulator mechanism. The arm 37 of the keylever 36 is supported on the base frame in such posi tion that the arm38 of the bell crank 39 will be brought into operative relation with thetabulator key lever when the platen carriage is moved to its operativeposition, thus automatically bringing the entire tabulator mechanisminto cooperative relation with the tabulator key.

I claim 1. In a typewriter, a platen carriage frame, a platen carriagearranged to move along said frame, a stop bar on said platen carriageand having margin and tabulator stops thereon, and means for shiftingsaid bar on said carriage to move said steps out of operative positionsaid shifting means comprising a pivoted lever having said bar securedthereto at a point removed from the pivotal support therefor and a stopon said platen carriage frame below the horizontal plane of said pivotalsupport for en.- gaging the stop on said bar.

2. I11 a typewriter, a platen carriage frame, a platen carriage mountedfor movcment along said frame, a stop bar on said platen carriage, atabulator stop adjustable along said stop bar, tabulator mechanism onsaid platen. carriage frame for engaging said tabulator stop to arrestthe movement of said carriage on said frame, and means for shifting saidstop bar to move said tabulator stop out of operative position saidshifting means comprising a lever pivoted intermediate the ends thereofand having said bar fixed to one arm of said lever and a fingerpiececarried on the other arm thereof.

3. In a typewriter, a platen carriage frame, a platen carriage movablealon said frame, a stop bar on said frame, a margin stop adjustablymounted on said step bar, means on said platen carriage frame forengaging said margin stop to arrest the movement of said platencarriage, a tabulator stop adjustably carried by said step bar, anabutment member on said platen carriage frame and movable into and outof position to engage said tabulator stop for arresting the movement ofsaid carriage, and means for shifting said stop bar to move said marginand tabulator steps out of operative position said shifting meanscomprising a lever pivoted intermediate the ends thereof and having saidbar fixed to one arm of said lever and a fingerpiece carried on theother arm thereof.

:4. In a typewriter, a platen carriage frame, a platen carriage arrangedto move along said frame, a stop bar on said carriage, margin andtabular stops adjustably mounted on said bar, a device arranged in thepath of movement of said margin stops and out of the path of movement ofsaid tabulator stops for engaging said margin stops to arrest saidplaten carriage, an abutment member movable into a position in the pathof said tabulator stops but not in the path of said margin stops forarresting said platen carriage said margin and tabulator stops havingtheir engaging members offset fore and aft relative to one another, andmeans for. shifting said step bar bodily to change the path of saidmargin and tabulator stops.

5. In a typewriter, a platen carriage, a frame on which said carriagetravels, an abutment member pivotally supported on said frame andmovable into and out of position for arresting the movement of saidcarriage, said abutment member being movable along its pivotal support,and resilient means for resisting the movement of said abutment memberalong its support for absorbing the shock incident to the arrest of saidcarriage.

6. In a typewriter, a platen arriage frame, a platen carriage movablealong said frame, a tabulator stop on said carriage, an abutment memberpivotally mounted on said frame for engaging said step to arrest themovement of said carriage, resilient means for receiving the shock ofsuch arrest, a spring for holding said abutment member out of the path.of said step, a transversely arranged, horizontally sliding bar havingmeans thereon for shifting said abutment member into the path of saidstep escapement mechanism, means on said bar for dis connecting saidescapement mechanism, and a tabulator key lever for operating said bar.

7. In a typewriter, aplaten carriage frame, a platen carriage movablealong said frame, escapement mechanism for controlling the movement ofsaid carriage on said frame, a tabulator stop on said carriage, anabutment member movable into the path of said step for arresting themovement of said carriage, and means for shifting said abutment memberinto the path of said step and for subsequently releasing saidesoapement mechanism to permit movement of said carriage said shiftingmeans comprising a tabulator key, a transversely extendinglongitudinally slidable bar actuated by said key, and separate contactmembers on said bar for successively operating upon said abutment memberand said escapement mechanism.

8. In a typewriter, a platen carriage frame, a platen carriage movablealong said frame, escapement mechanism comprising adog for controllingthe movement of said carriage along said frame, tabulator mechanism forarresting the movement of said. carriage along said frame, and a.transversely arranged longitudinally movable bar having separatecontacts thereon for shifting said tabulator mechanism into operativeposition and for subsequently releasing said dog to permit movement ofsaid carriage in-. dependent of said escapement mechanism.

9. In a typewriter, a platen carriage frame, a platen carriage movablealong said frame, eseapement mechanism comprising a dog for controllingthe movement of said platen carriage, tabulator mechanism comprising anabutment member shiftable into position to arrest the movement of saidcarriage, a slide having a cam thereon for shifting said abutmentmember, and means on said slide for engaging said dog subsequent toshifting of said abutment member to release said escapement mechanismand free said carriage for movement along said frame.

said frame, means on said bar for releasing said escapement mechanism, aspring for holding said bar in an inactive position, and key levermechanism for shifting said bar to successively move said abutmentmember into the path of said stop and release said escapement mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this7th day of August A. D. 1920.

OTTO A. HOKANSON.

